While not as impressive an article as may have been printed of Featherstone et al. I have my own moment in the press of my day.
This image, and others from the recent Trumpeter Salute 2011 convention are on the Burnaby Now website.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Matchstick Armies
The Old Dessauer has done a great job again of expanding on the posting regarding his matchstick troops.
I go into this subject as I have played in a fun re-fight of Minden, where some 12mm? 10mm? and 15mm miniatures were used to great effect.
It got me again thinking of the mass battles effect that can be had with such forces.
Moreover the cost factor is really good.
What are your thoughts about such quick use armies?
The Old Dessauer has done a great job again of expanding on the posting regarding his matchstick troops.
I go into this subject as I have played in a fun re-fight of Minden, where some 12mm? 10mm? and 15mm miniatures were used to great effect.
It got me again thinking of the mass battles effect that can be had with such forces.
Moreover the cost factor is really good.
What are your thoughts about such quick use armies?
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
TRUMPETER SALUTE 2011
Convention in Review
A review from my attendance at the April 1-2-3 event.
Overall I'd rate the event a 7/10 on my games convention scale.
I spent most of the Friday night, April 1 doing a lot of 'catch-up' with the lower mainland of BC tabletop game players. Many of whom had also not come to a Salute event for a few years also. I even managed to connect with a few Vancouver Island players, including a new one that lives not far south of me here.
I was with my sons in the event, so I was careful to monitor them as they got into games and made connections with the adults in the game play atmosphere.
Now some visuals:
On Friday there was a best of session game run by Colin Upton, using a modified Sword and the Flame and his own 'flavor'.
I counted 6 players and at one point there must have been 20 crowded around the table.
My boys were attracted to the LEGO and Canvas Eagles WWI aerial combats.
Also going on during the Friday were WWII games (there were a lot of these at the event - much more than I have ever seen before), including a Squad Leader looking one...sadly the GM was not to be found.
John Westra was also doing his WWII fighters in "Check you Six".
Saturday brought a new set of tabletop opportunities.
The boys got into Star Wars minis battles (using the plastic ones) and more Lego.
I did a skirmish game with Doug Hamm, of Larry Leadhead fame, and his innovative approach to using cards as part of the movement system brought a new set of ideas for me in skirmish action games.
Then came the 'main event' Battle of the Piave River using SHAKO II rules with Chris Leach in attendance to give some rules clarifications.
Having been a player in Shako before (not version 2) I was tasked at Eugene de Beauharnais, commanding the Army of Italy. The combination of great painted minis, well done terrain and really good sportsmanship on the part of everyone involved led to a "BEST of SESSION" award for the game. The added bonus of commanding a French Victory helped my spirits.
Here is the Austrian final position as seen from Macdonald's HQ
Here is the Italian-French position as seen from Eugene's HQ
Part of the bonus I did get in a game with Colin Upton for the first time!
As a team on a winning side!
Saturday wrapped up for me with an Age of Reason rule re-fight of Minden. Amazingly enough I got tasked to the French side again teamed up with Colin Upton.
It took me a bit of review to get the rules clear again on AoR, once I had it clear we saw the best way to setup and got another victory as the British player chose to come forward with only 1/3 of his cavalry and I sent ALL of the French Cavalry after it. The British horse was routed, then the close combats got bogged down with infantry. No action on the part of the Prussians could change the result... their right flank was gone and French horse was ready to unleash behind the main Prussian lines.
Sunday brought a lighter crowd and I had my SHAKO game, a small action decided by the players as neither had ever played before. I had them roll for terrain and layed out the tabletop accordingly.
Some British and Spanish vs French in the peninsula.
With a very aggressive plan the French Player essentially RAN straight at the British lines. Their cavalry appeared on the flank as planned and cut down the British Light Dragoons, sadly the French chose to approach in columns and this cost dearly as the Royal Foot Artillery blew away one battalion and one more collapsed under the combined weight of fire from British Foot and a bayonet charge into the fresh British lines. The French cause was lost and they would soon be in retreat.
The game was excellent for demonstrating how fast from set up to conclusion of action a simple game could be. We were done in 2 hrs 15 mins.
Just as we completed a reporter from the Burnaby Now arrived and did a series of photos ... I plan to show links to them once I find out where they are.
I then did a Shako discussion with a curious gamer to show how simple the overall system was, took about 20 mins to do that in the process of saying the farewells.
Colin Upton won the best of session with this Ticonderoga, using Age of Reason, game. Followed swiftly by the announcement of Colin Upton winning the BEST OF SHOW for his two session winning games! Well done Colin!
The cap off to the day was winning a draw prize and a table host draw prize!
A few vendors were present, most notable was Imperial Hobbies.
The canteen crew were fabulous.
Much fun had by all!
Convention in Review
A review from my attendance at the April 1-2-3 event.
Overall I'd rate the event a 7/10 on my games convention scale.
I spent most of the Friday night, April 1 doing a lot of 'catch-up' with the lower mainland of BC tabletop game players. Many of whom had also not come to a Salute event for a few years also. I even managed to connect with a few Vancouver Island players, including a new one that lives not far south of me here.
I was with my sons in the event, so I was careful to monitor them as they got into games and made connections with the adults in the game play atmosphere.
Now some visuals:
On Friday there was a best of session game run by Colin Upton, using a modified Sword and the Flame and his own 'flavor'.
I counted 6 players and at one point there must have been 20 crowded around the table.
My boys were attracted to the LEGO and Canvas Eagles WWI aerial combats.
Also going on during the Friday were WWII games (there were a lot of these at the event - much more than I have ever seen before), including a Squad Leader looking one...sadly the GM was not to be found.
John Westra was also doing his WWII fighters in "Check you Six".
Saturday brought a new set of tabletop opportunities.
The boys got into Star Wars minis battles (using the plastic ones) and more Lego.
I did a skirmish game with Doug Hamm, of Larry Leadhead fame, and his innovative approach to using cards as part of the movement system brought a new set of ideas for me in skirmish action games.
Then came the 'main event' Battle of the Piave River using SHAKO II rules with Chris Leach in attendance to give some rules clarifications.
Having been a player in Shako before (not version 2) I was tasked at Eugene de Beauharnais, commanding the Army of Italy. The combination of great painted minis, well done terrain and really good sportsmanship on the part of everyone involved led to a "BEST of SESSION" award for the game. The added bonus of commanding a French Victory helped my spirits.
Here is the Austrian final position as seen from Macdonald's HQ
Here is the Italian-French position as seen from Eugene's HQ
Part of the bonus I did get in a game with Colin Upton for the first time!
As a team on a winning side!
Saturday wrapped up for me with an Age of Reason rule re-fight of Minden. Amazingly enough I got tasked to the French side again teamed up with Colin Upton.
It took me a bit of review to get the rules clear again on AoR, once I had it clear we saw the best way to setup and got another victory as the British player chose to come forward with only 1/3 of his cavalry and I sent ALL of the French Cavalry after it. The British horse was routed, then the close combats got bogged down with infantry. No action on the part of the Prussians could change the result... their right flank was gone and French horse was ready to unleash behind the main Prussian lines.
Sunday brought a lighter crowd and I had my SHAKO game, a small action decided by the players as neither had ever played before. I had them roll for terrain and layed out the tabletop accordingly.
Some British and Spanish vs French in the peninsula.
With a very aggressive plan the French Player essentially RAN straight at the British lines. Their cavalry appeared on the flank as planned and cut down the British Light Dragoons, sadly the French chose to approach in columns and this cost dearly as the Royal Foot Artillery blew away one battalion and one more collapsed under the combined weight of fire from British Foot and a bayonet charge into the fresh British lines. The French cause was lost and they would soon be in retreat.
The game was excellent for demonstrating how fast from set up to conclusion of action a simple game could be. We were done in 2 hrs 15 mins.
Just as we completed a reporter from the Burnaby Now arrived and did a series of photos ... I plan to show links to them once I find out where they are.
I then did a Shako discussion with a curious gamer to show how simple the overall system was, took about 20 mins to do that in the process of saying the farewells.
Colin Upton won the best of session with this Ticonderoga, using Age of Reason, game. Followed swiftly by the announcement of Colin Upton winning the BEST OF SHOW for his two session winning games! Well done Colin!
The cap off to the day was winning a draw prize and a table host draw prize!
A few vendors were present, most notable was Imperial Hobbies.
The canteen crew were fabulous.
Much fun had by all!
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